Gaza.

UPDATE: Feeling the hate in Jerusalem

Two weeks ago we blogged about a video taken in Jerusalem which was shocking in that it displayed amazingly ignorant attitudes from a random cross-section of the Jerusalem population.  The general theme seemed to be “f-bomb [edited for the sensitive - ed] Obama, he doesn’t support Israel enough”.

At the time, we took it with a pinch of salt and even mentioned that it seemed to be mainly drunk kids, but the video has been removed by YouTube - after receiving hundreds of thousands of views and a 4 star rating - due to apparent violation of the YouTube terms of use.  It was later to be found on the Vimeo platform, but that has also been removed — you can watch the deleted video at the end of this post.

As the video contained only candid interviews held on the streets of Jerusalem, it is hard to see how it could have violated the terms of use, perhaps it contained too much swearing? Regardless, it is clear that the video must have been targeted by pro-Israeli people/groups across both the YouTube and Vimeo platforms.

Joseph Dana , co-creator of the video tells why he and Max Blumenthal made it in the first place, and in so doing, puts us straight on why it was not just a bunch of drunk kids in the street, as this blog assumed:

It’s about entitlement, stupid

Max and I went on to the streets of Jerusalem at ten o’clock on a Wednesday to ascertain the feelings of the young population about Obama’s upcoming speech in Cairo. As is often the case, the streets of central Jerusalem were not filled with native Israelis but American Jews. Doubtlessly anyone who has visited Jerusalem has encountered the droves of American Jewish kids that are sent to Israel to study for a period of time from Teaneck or Westchester. We asked people a simple question, “What do you think of Obama and Israel?” Most of the people that we talked to were dual American Israeli citizens. The answers in this video reflect the education and worrisome perspectives that many American Jews harbor towards Israeli politics. The sense of entitlement that the American Jewish community has when it comes to Israeli policy is on full raw display in the words of these young adults.

Based on our interviews these people were from high socio economic backgrounds and had developed thoughts about current Israeli politics. The question is why more journalists are not covering this story. All you have to do is walk the streets of Jerusalem and you will find dozens of people that harbor the same beliefs. As a resident of Jerusalem, I can say that the people represented in this video are not members of a fringe group or simply drunk college kids. These people reflect the sentiments shared by many people in this country and this city. These people and their families are the core of the opposition to meaningful peace between Israel and her neighbors. This is what Obama is up against.

Hat tip to Mondoweiss

Max Blumenthal blogged before the video was banned:

The notion that the racist diatribes in my video emerged spontaneously from a beery void is a delusion, but for some, it is a necessary one. It allows them to erect a psychological barrier against acknowledging the painful consequences of prolonged Zionist indoctrination. And it enables them to dismiss the disturbing spectacle of young Jews behaving like fascist soccer hooligans in the heart of the capitol of Israel and the spiritual home of the Jewish people.

Post banning, Blumenthal blogged about his (lack of) communication with YouTube and appears to be organising a campaign of support, so keep updated on that.

The Jerusalem Post ran an article containing quotes from the video and reaction from various people.

UPDATE — In case you haven’t seen it, here’s the video: